


Christmas Tree

by JoMouse



Series: Christmas at the Coffee Shop [1]
Category: Liam Payne (Musician), One Direction (Band), Zayn Malik (Musician)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Christmas, Christmas Fluff, Hospitalization, Kid Fic, M/M, Major Character Injury, Past Character Death, Secret Santa
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-18
Updated: 2017-12-25
Packaged: 2019-02-16 20:12:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 15,550
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13061313
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JoMouse/pseuds/JoMouse
Summary: A stranger leaves a drawing of Liam and his son underneath a Christmas tree. Arthur insists that his Papa leave a thank you gift. Through the back and forth of gifts and thank yous, a friendship develops.





	1. Monday

**Author's Note:**

> Okay, this is the first time I'm doing something like this - I'm posting part of a story before the story is completed. Crossing my fingers I don't let anyone down.
> 
> The plan is to post every day from now until Christmas. Some chapters will be really short, some a bit longer, it all depends on how the muse is feeling as I write.
> 
> Partially inspired by [this prompt](http://otpprompts.tumblr.com/post/168454203324) on Tumblr.
> 
> Thanks to Cristina for being an amazing cheerleader and convincing me that I can do this.
> 
> Enjoy!
> 
> xx-Joey
> 
> Don't know 'em. Don't own 'em. Don't show 'em.
> 
> Also, do not post any of my works on GoodReads. That's just not cool, people.

One week before Christmas, Liam held the door to the coffee shop open, smiling as his son ducked under his arm, walking unsteadily as he balanced wrapped presents in his arms. “Careful, Arthur,” he called as the boy began to move away from him. 

He turned to roll his eyes at Liam, causing a small box on top to tumble off.Liam made a grab for it, but it bounced off the tips of his fingers. He shut his eyes, anticipating the inevitable tinkling of shattering glass, but instead he heard an unfamiliar chuckle and a whispered “Thank you” from his son. 

Opening one eye, he caught a glimpse of soft black hair curling against olive skin. Slowly opening the other eye, he struggled to keep his mouth closed instead of gaping in awe at the man who was smiling down at Arthur. He looked up at Liam with a flash of white teeth before attempting to balance the gift back on top, releasing a huff of frustration when the box wobbled threateningly. 

“Can I put the presents down, Papa?” Liam’s attention snapped to his son who was looking up at him with wide eyes, a bit of strain beginning to show around the corners of his eyes.

“Of course, Arthur. The sofa by the window is open. You can put the gifts on the table.” he reached to take the box from the stranger, smiling as their fingers brushed during the exchange. “I’ll hold onto this until Mr. Harry’s break so you can give this to him and we don’t have to worry about it breaking anymore.”

He watched his son make his way to the sofa, relieved he’d held onto the small gift when he saw the pile tilt several times to avoid chairs in the crowded shop. Arthur carefully set the gifts down before struggling out of his outerwear and sitting on the sofa, pulling a book out of his rucksack and opening it in his lap. Liam smiled at the way his finger ran over the page, his eyes following, lips mouthing the words.

Once he was confident that Arthur was settled, Liam turned to smile at the man who had rescued Harry’s gift, only to find the space he’d occupied empty. Glancing around the shop, he didn’t see anyone who resembled the man. With a sigh, Liam assumed he’d left and he’d missed his chance to try out his rusty flirting skills. Keeping the image of the man in his mind for future reference, he made his way to sit next to his son, pulling him against his side in a still allowed cuddle and reading the book to him.

A half hour later, Harry joined them, smiling brightly enough to rival the lights on the tree in the corner of the shop when Arthur moved to stand next to his chair and handing him the gift with a proud, “I picked it out!” 

Harry smiled up at Liam as he carefully peeled back the paper. “You know, you didn’t have to do this. Not everyone buys a random barista Christmas gifts.”

“You’re not random, Mr. Harry. You’re our favourite!” Arthur assured him with a smile. “You always give extra whipping cream!”

Harry winked. “That’s because you’re my favourite customer.” 

“What about Louis?” Liam questioned, mentioning the young man that Harry had been flirting with over the past few weeks.

“Just don’t tell him.” They all laughed until Harry let out a quiet, “Oh,” when he got the gift open and lifted out the delicate glass ornament shaped like a pink cupcake. “This is beautiful. Thank you.” He rose to his feet and started across the shop talking about putting the ornament on the tree. Arthur followed babbling that he knew just the perfect spot.

Liam smiled at the two of them as he put the book he and Arthur had been reading back into the rucksack and started making a mental note of what errands they still had to run that day. He was just about to call Arthur back so they could head to the bookstore to pick up a gift for his father when his son appeared, smiling and waving a piece of paper in his face. “We got a present!” he shouted. 

“What?” Liam asked, trying to grab Arthur’s hand to stop the movement so he could see the paper.

“There was something for you and Arthur under the tree,” Harry explained. Liam glanced over at the tree in question. Every year that he’d been coming to this coffee shop, since Uni, the tree had stood in the corner starting the first day of December. Various items would appear beneath the tree, gifts addressed to specific people or just labeled with what type of person they were for. Every year, Arthur and Liam added some hats and gloves to the tree for people to take if they were caught in the cold without one, in fact that reminded him to pull open the rucksack again to pull out the items they had brought for this year.

“Harry, did you-” he started as he pulled out the small stack of winter wear.

“Absolutely not, mate,” Harry interrupted, holding his hands up in defense before smiling and taking the offered items.

“It must’ve been Santa, then,” Liam told his son, just to put his son’s mind at ease, but his was running high speed to figure out who would leave them a gift. He knew that they were regulars in the shop and a great many people knew his son by name, but they’d never received a gift before this year. He wondered how long it had been under the tree; they’d been out of town visiting family for several days and this was their first time in the shop in over a week.

“Not Santa!” Arthur shouted, finally stopping waving the paper long enough to jab a finger at the bottom right corner. “Z!”

Liam took the paper, recognizing it as one of the single sheet carry-out menus that were kept at the counter, but that wasn’t what caught his attention. On the back of the menu was a pencil sketch of Liam and Arthur sitting on the sofa, heads together as they looked at an open book in their laps. It was a picture of them from just moments earlier. He glanced around the shop, but no one appeared to be paying them any sort of attention, despite Arthur’s excited squeals.

“It says Arthur and Papa! And it’s got my Hulk toy!” He showed the paper to the toy and began pointing out things in the drawing to Hulk as he whispered excitedly.

He wasn’t afraid to admit to himself that he was a little bothered by the stalkerish feel to the picture, but at the same time he couldn’t be too upset in the face of Arthur’s excitement. “Harry, do you know who Z is?” Liam asked.

“You know the rules, Liam. Totally anonymous unless the person wants to be revealed.” Liam narrowed his eyes at Harry, using a look that usually got Arthur to do as told. “I might.”

“So, if I told you to say thank you, you could?” Liam questioned, stopping when Arthur made a noise of protest and started shaking his head wildly. “What?”

“We have to leave Z a gift!!” Arthur shouted. He began looking through his rucksack, huffing when he came up with nothing. Finally, he pulled out the book he and Liam had been reading earlier, a dog eared copy of  _ ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas _ . He stared at if for a minute before giving a firm nod of his head. Rising he began to walk towards the tree.

Arthur was almost out of reach before Liam realized what he was doing. He grabbed the book in one hand and Arthur’s arm gently in the other. “You cannot give Z your book. This was your mum’s,” he whispered. “It’s too important.”

“Art comes from the heart, Papa,” Arthur told him, eyes pleading. “The picture is from Z’s heart.”

“Not the book. I’m sorry.” Liam’s voice was almost as small as Arthur’s. After a moment of pouting, his son nodded and headed back to the sofa, book tightly gripped in his small hands. “Can I get a gift card, Harry?” Liam asked as he saw Arthur packing everything up.


	2. Tuesday

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Tuesday!
> 
> Short chapter today. :D
> 
> Hope you're having an amazing day!
> 
> xx-Joey

Liam made his way into the coffee shop. He hadn’t planned on stopping in that day, but he hadn’t been able to get his mind off the image of the drawing that the mysterious Z had left for them. He didn’t know if he was hoping to find the gift card he’d left beneath the tree the day before still there or not, but he also had promised Arthur he would drop off the drawing of Hulk that he had done the night before. Liam figured if the gift card was still there, he would just put the two together.

“Hey, Liam!” Harry called when the door chimed. “Where’s the kid? I got something for him to say thanks for the ornament.”

“He went with dad to visit mum. I’m on my way there now,” Liam explained, keeping his voice low as he leaned over the counter. It wasn’t the time of year to risk bringing down others with his own life problems.

Harry’s lips twisted into a sympathetic smile; he’d been one of the first people Arthur had talked to about his feelings when Liam’s mum had fallen ill. Liam had been thankful for him being able to talk to someone, but admitted it hurt a bit that it wasn’t him. “Let me send you some carrot cake for you mum. You can give these cupcakes to Arthur for me, yeah?” 

Liam took the box with thanks while glancing over towards the tree. He thought he saw a head of dark hair duck low before disappearing behind the tree. Liam leaned back to see around the tree, but all he saw was the employee entrance there. “Did Z come in?”

Harry’s smile turned soft and fond. “Why don’t you go check while I make your drinks? It’s been crazy busy today.”

The tree lights were sparkling as he approached and Liam spotted a little girl whose coat looked a few sizes too small reaching up to pull down a pair of the pink gloves that Liam had hung on the tree the day before. He smiled at her when she looked up at him with wide eyes, holding them out to him. He grabbed a matching pink hat from higher up the tree before kneeling down in front of the girl and taking the gloves.

“Hi, sweetheart,” he said as he began to break the plastic holding the gloves together. “Is pink your favourite colour?” She nodded and grinned a mouth full of missing teeth as she took the gloves back, sliding them onto her hands with small giggles. Liam pulled the hat over her blonde braids before tapping her on the nose. “Happy Christmas, Angel.” 

“Thank you, sir,” she lisped before a woman’s voice distracted her. She ran off with a wave and a giggle.

His heart was warm as he glanced between the branches of the tree where he’d set the envelope containing the gift card the day before. He frowned when he saw the envelope still sitting among the branches, but something was strange. Reaching out, he discovered it had been torn open and another take out menu had been set inside. This time, the back was covered in writing and small Christmas related doodles.

_ “Liam (and Arthur),” _ the letter began; Liam had signed the back of the gift card, so at least Z was no longer calling him Papa.

_ “Thank you for the gift card. I’ve got quite an obsession with coffee and the twenty pounds will go a long way to feeding the addiction. I’m not sure my drawing was worth so much in exchange, but I’m thankful for your generosity.” _

The note was signed again with just the letter Z. Tucking it into his pocket, he took Arthur’s hulk drawing and started to place it on the tree. At the last minute, he pulled it back and flipped it over to write a return note.

_ “Your art made my son smile and is now displayed on his wall with his favourite Marvel pushpin, so that makes it priceless. Enjoy your many coffees and have a lovely Christmas. If you do wish to write back, Arthur would like to know your favourite colour.” _

He hung the picture, patting it once as he heard Harry calling his name. Turning away, he grabbed the carrier full of cups and the bag with the baked goods in it before waving to Harry and calling out a cheerful farewell. As he held the door open for a young mother balancing and infant on one hip and a coffee in the other hand, he glanced back inside to see Harry leaned over the counter talking to someone with a mess of black hair.


	3. Wednesday

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Wednesday!
> 
> Much thanks to Cristina for the beta and patience. Also huge thanks to her and Jenn for being amazing with me on what was a truly awful day at work. You two are the best.
> 
> Thank you to everyone who commented and kudo'd and shared this story! I greatly appreciate it!
> 
> xx-Joey

Liam stretched across his desk to pull the file that had been left by his assistant closer. Flipping it open, he pulled out the storyboard for the newest graphic novel that was being pitched to his company. He hummed as his fingers ran across the rough sketches of a firefighter racing out of a burning building with a child in his arms. He flinched as he thought about Arthur.

Arthur wasn’t his biological son; he’d actually come to live with his parents who’d been foster parents for most of Liam’s life. Arthur had been rescued from a house fire that had killed both of his parents. The only possessions he’d arrived with were a blanket and a copy of  _ ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas _ that the firefighter had grabbed from the nursery as he’d rescued Arthur from his crib. He’d only been six months old when he’d come to live with the Paynes, remaining there until Liam’s mother had been diagnosed with early onset dementia when he was three years old.

Protective Services had revoked the Payne’s foster certifications and tried to take Arthur back, but Liam just couldn’t allow that, so he’d begun paperwork to adopt Arthur. It hadn’t been easy, but by the time Arthur turned five, he was officially Arthur Grey Payne. It hadn’t been an easy adjustment, but now, four years later, weeks short of Arthur’s tenth birthday, he thought they were doing well.

Arthur somehow still had nightmares about fire, despite his young age when the incident had occurred. Following the advice of Protective Services, Liam and Arthur attended individual and joint counseling. Liam felt they had developed a pretty good relationship and he loved his son far more than he had ever expected. He was happy with his life and didn’t feel like anything was missing, until the counselor had mentioned something Arthur had asked for Christmas from Santa: a husband for Liam.

Running a hand through his hair, Liam glanced up when the door to his office swung open, interrupting the train of thought that request started. His smile widened at the blond who strode in and grabbed his coat from the rack behind the door before tossing it at Liam. “Time to go. Arthur’s Christmas program starts in a half-hour. If you don’t leave now, you’ll be late.”

Liam hurried into the coat and raced past his assistant, pressing a smacking kiss to his cheek. “Thanks, Niall. I’ll see you in the morning!”

“No, you won’t!” Niall called after him. “I’m leaving for Ireland tonight!”

Liam stopped and raced back to pull Niall into a hug. “Your present is in the top drawer. Happy Christmas. See you next year!”

Niall squeezed back for a moment before shoving Liam away from hm. “Yeah, yeah, yeah! Go!”

Liam laughed as he ran out of the office, foregoing the lift for the stairs. He hurried to his car, making his way quickly and safely through traffic to Arthur's school. He was in the seat his father had saved just as the first child dressed in their Sunday best set foot on the stage.

After the concert was over, Liam took his dad and Arthur to the coffee shop, laughing when Harry greeted them with, “Hey, Strangers. Long time, no see.”

He was placing an order at the counter as Arthur disappeared over to the tree, rushing back waving yet another take out menu. “It’s from Z!” he shouted. “Grandpapa, look!” 

Liam only half-listened as Arthur filled in his father about Z and the gifts before turning his attention back to Harry with a frown. “I don’t have anything for him. Does he come in everyday?”

“Don’t you?” Harry replied simply, handing over a mug of hot chocolate with a mountain of whipped cream. “Yes, he’s here every day, but he won’t be upset if you don’t leave him anything. He’ll understand.”

Liam made his way to the table with Arthur’s hot chocolate and a coffee for his father, a bottle of water for himself tucked under his arm. As he sat down, he saw Arthur running a finger over the latest piece of paper from Z. “What’s it say?”

“Tell Arthur that if I had to wear one colour for the rest of my life, it would be black,” Arthur read. “I rather like yellow, as well. I love the drawing of the Hulk and will hang it on my refrigerator when I get home. I noticed Arthur also has a Hulk doll; is that his favourite superhero? Mine is Green Lantern. What is yours, Liam? Happy Christmas! Love, Z.”

“Got yourself a penpal, have you?” Geoff, Liam’s dad, asked. 

“Yep,” Arthur responded, popping the “p” before taking a big sip of his cocoa and coming away with a whipped cream mustache. He carefully set his mug on the table before sliding off his chair and digging through his school bag that he’d insisted on bringing inside.

After a few moments of digging and muttering, he let out a sound of discovery. Reaching up, he set something that was brown and wooden on the table. “What’s that?” Liam asked, looking at Geoff who shrugged.

“It’s a reindeer. We made them in school today. I got one of the only red pom poms, so mine is Rudolph.” Arthur was laying a piece of writing paper and a pencil on the table as he climbed onto the chair and began writing.

Liam carefully picked up the ornament, dangling it from the string as he took in the clothespins that were glued together and painted brown, decorated with googly eyes and other small glittering items. “It’ll look great on our tree.”

“It’s for Z, Papa,” Arthur said in an exasperated voice. “We didn’t bring anything today, so we’ll give him this.”

“We don’t have to give him a gift ever-”

“Yes, we do,” his son stated firmly, apologizing quickly for interrupting. He returned to his writing, wrapping his arm around the letter to block Liam from reading it. When he was done, he folded it intricately and wrote  _ “For Z’s eyes only” _ on the outside.


	4. Thursday

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for posting so late in the day, but Liam in the story and I have a bit in common today. You'll understand what I mean after the first paragraph.
> 
> There were also some last minute changes to this story thanks to a comment on the previous chapter from liamsgirl44 who was curious about Arthur's private note to Z. I hadn't planned to go into too much detail on it but, after her comment, I decided to add another detail.
> 
> Have a happy Thursday!!!!
> 
> xx-Joey

Liam woke up Thursday morning with a groan. His head felt like it was stuffed with cotton full of iron spikes and his throat felt as if someone had poured acid down it. He let out a quiet curse as he forced himself up in bed to shut off his alarm and quickly send off an email to his boss to tell him he would be out of the office for at least the day. He also sent a computer request for an appointment to his doctor’s office before making his way down the hall to check on Arthur.

He was surprised to find his son’s room empty, so he made his way to the kitchen where he found a plate with toast crumbs and a glass with a tiny amount of milk in the bottom. Finally, he looked into the living room and found Arthur sitting on the sofa, a knitting loom in his lap and a ball of black wool sitting next to him. His tongue was poked between his teeth as he worked methodically back and forth along the loom to create stitches on a scarf. An empty round loom was on his other side, next to a completed black hat with a green brim.

“How long have you been up?” Liam forced out, blinking back tears at the pain in his throat.

“Papa, you’re sick!” He jumped to his feet, discarding the loom and making his way over to Liam. He tugged his arm, forcing him into his recliner. Moments later, Liam found himself covered with a blanket and the loom in his hands. “You work on this while I make tea.”

Liam looked at the loom in his lap and tried to remember the YouTube videos he’d watched to learn how to do this so he could teach Arthur when he’d decided at eight that he wanted to make scarves and hats for everyone in the family. He’d managed a couple of rows that didn’t look too bad when Arthur reappeared with a mug in his hand, walking carefully towards him.

Arthur took the loom back. He settled on the sofa and turned on the television so Liam could watch the news while he drank his tea, but Liam spent more time watching Arthur work on the scarf and how quickly his hands moved, the scarf growing quickly. Liam’s eyelids were getting heavy when his phone gave a ping of an email notification. Thinking it might be the doctor’s office, he grabbed the phone and opened the notification without checking it. 

It wasn’t from the doctor’s office. It was from a google email, one djmalik. Liam almost deleted it, but his mum did say he was always too curious for his own good.

_ “Greetings, Liam. _

_ I hope Arthur isn’t in too much trouble for giving me your email address. I wasn’t even going to email, but then I thought you might want to know that your son is giving out personal information. Information like the fact Batman is your favourite superhero.  _

_ Please thank Arthur for the ornament. It’s really cute. I don’t have a tree of my own, but it’s hanging on my window, so it was the first thing I saw this morning, after the alarm clock.  _

_ The actual reason I decided to email today is that I might not have time to stop by the coffee shop today because I have class. I didn’t want Arthur to think I didn’t appreciate his gift if there was nothing in return. _

_ You don’t have to email back if you don’t want to, but I certainly wouldn’t be disappointed if you did. _

_ x-Z” _

Liam felt warmth in his chest at the words. He made a small sound to get Arthur’s attention. The boy moved to Liam, crawling into his lap to look at the phone. His eyes moved slowly over the screen, his face moving between embarrassment, sadness, and happiness. He put the phone down when he was done and looked up at Liam. “We have to get Z a tree,” he stated firmly, putting a hand over Liam’s mouth when he tried to argue.

***

Zayn cursed as he hit send on the email. What the hell was he doing? He should never have left that drawing under the tree in the first place, but Harry had seen it and snatched it out of his hands, putting it under the tree just before joining Arthur and his father for his break. Zayn had stood staring at the paper on the branches of the tree, debating taking it down; he’d just been walking over to do that when Arthur had beat him to it.

He’d watched through the window of the kitchen; the excitement on Arthur’s face bringing a smile to his own. He’d watched as the boy had shown his Papa and then still as he had held the book they’d been reading tightly to his chest and stepped towards the tree. His Papa, eyes damp with tears obvious even from the distance, a look like someone was ripping his heart out of his chest slowly, had stopped him. Blinking back his own tears, he’d returned his attention to the dishes that wouldn’t wash themselves, trying to push the two from his mind.

He’d almost succeeded, or at least he’d convinced himself he had, until Harry had entered the kitchen waving an envelope at him. He’d been surprised by the generosity of the gift, but after weeks of watching Arthur and his father leaving gifts on and around the tree, he probably shouldn’t have been. His mother had raised him well enough to know a thank you note was in order.

Little did he know that one bit of manners would lead to him emailing a complete stranger, but here he was. He put his phone down as he glanced around the room in the community center where he volunteered to teach enrichment classes at an assisted living community. He loved this job, even though it didn’t pay in cash, it certainly paid in joy when he saw a gleam of accomplishment in someone’s eyes.

He had about an hour until his first class, so he stretched his legs as he made his way towards the staff lounge. He hoped to score a cup of coffee since he’d been running behind schedule that morning and hadn’t stopped at the coffee shop for his normal caffeine fix. He was just about out of the room when his phone chimed with an incoming email. He almost ignored it, but before he could mentally push himself out the door, he was striding back and sliding open the alert.

_ “Z- _

_ I spoke to Arthur about providing personal information to strangers, but he informed me that you are not a stranger because you are his Christmas penpal. He was very excited to get your email and is busily working on finishing up a gift for you that he started last night. _

_ He’s off of school for the next couple weeks, but I am supposed to work until Christmas Eve, or at least I would be working if I weren’t dying from the worst cold known to man. _

_ Arthur is glad that his reindeer has a place of honour in your home, but he’s a bit upset that you don’t have a tree of your own. He’s insisting I ask if you live in a big home or a small home, but that I can’t tell you why I am asking. _

_ He also said that I should tell you that we live in a small two bedroom flat not far from the coffee shop. It’s not extravagant, but it works for us. _

_ Highest regards, _

_ Liam (and Arthur)” _

Zayn smiled over the email, wondering what Arthur was thinking with his questions and  hoping it wasn’t what he suspected; however, even if it was what he feared, he couldn’t find himself to be too bothered at the thought. He was about to hit reply when he saw another email come through from Liam. It was clearly an afterthought as it was missing the greeting and sign off.

_ “You mentioned being in classes all day. Are you a Uni student?” _

Zayn laughed at the question, wondering if Liam was worried that he might be doing something inappropriate starting a communication with someone underage. He didn’t want him to worry, so instead of going for his coffee, he sat back down and composed another email.

_ “Liam, _

_ I’m not addressing the first part of this to Arthur because I have a feeling this answer means more to you than to him. I’m not a Uni student, in fact, I graduated about five years ago and went into business for myself. My classes today are actually classes that I teach. I get a lot of joy out of teaching so even though the position is voluntary, I don’t think I’d ever give it up. Before you ask, I’m twenty-seven. I’m going to guess you are about the same, although your puppy eyes make you appear younger. _

_ I hope you feel better soon. _

_ Arthur, _

_ I live in a very tiny studio flat. It’s just me and all of my books, but I find it cozy. Your papa mentioned you are working on a gift for me and I really appreciate you thinking of me, but I don’t want you to feel like you have to keep giving me gifts. On that same note, I certainly won’t turn down anything you give me; I just feel badly that my return gifts are mostly letters. However, if you see Mr. Harry soon, tell him I sent you and there might just be a special surprise for you. _

_ Take good care of your papa. _

_ Liam and Arthur, _

_ I hope you have a wonderful Thursday and, if I don’t hear from you, a very happy Christmas. _

_ -Z” _

As soon as he set the phone down again, he heard movement at the door and saw that his first student had arrived. He pushed Liam and Arthur from his mind as he focused on the elderly man who was relearning how to read after a massive stroke. He pulled out a copy of  _ ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas _ that they had been making their way slowly through, smiling as the man’s eyes lit up when he saw the bright cover.

Hours passed and Zayn had managed to forget his phone. He’d meant to check it when he stopped for lunch, but had been dragged into the office to talk to the activities director, who also happened to be his best mate. “So, Zee, Harry tells me you’re playing Santa to some bloke and his kid,” Louis said as soon as he settled into the chair across the desk from him.

“Your boyfriend needs to keep his mouth shut,” Zayn mumbled, glancing down at his phone, wondering if he was going to hear from Liam again today.

“Not my boy-”

“Bullshit,” Zayn cut him off, smiling. “Just because you’re too barmy to put a title on it, doesn’t mean it’s not true.” Louis’ face flushed a little. “I don’t know how I got into this, but Arthur is a cute kid and his dad’s right fit. Not like that means much, I’m sure there’s a mum somewhere. Don’t even know if he’s into blokes.” Zayn flipped his phone in his hand before running a thumbnail along the edge of Louis’ desk, thinking that he did know that Liam was, at the very least, bisexual.

“I can ask Harry, if you like.” Louis’ voice was a bit more serious than normal, making Zayn feel even more embarrassed about what he’d just said and about the itch inside him to check his phone for an email again.

His mind went back to Arthur’s note from the previous day.  _ “For Z’s eyes only” _ carefully lettered on the outside. The inside had been a thank you, Liam’s email and a few questions. There was a small bit at the end that stuck with him.

_ “Mr. Harry won’t tell me who you are, but he says you are a man. Papa likes men. Do you like men? It’s okay if you don’t. I’m just happy that Papa is making a friend. Please email us.” _

“Was there something you actually wanted?” Zayn asked once he brought himself back to the present, pointedly ignoring the look on Louis’ face.

“Yeah. I was hoping you might come in to teach some private art lessons on Saturdays for a little while. We have a couple of residents who need a bit more concentrated attention and patience, two things I know you are excellent at.” Louis reached around on his desk before he found what he’d been looking for, opening a folder and removing a sheet of paper. “We’d even be able to pay you now.”

“You don’t need to pay me, mate. I enjoy doing this. Put the money into the party fund or something.” He glanced at his phone, smiling at the email notification that popped up. “I’ve got an art class in about five minutes.” He took the sheet of paper from Louis, folding it and slipping it into his rear pocket. “I’ll look this over and we can start this weekend if that works for your residents.”

“I knew I could count on you.” They embraced and Zayn escaped the room, thumbing open the email from Liam.

_ “Z- _

_ Can someone die from a cold?  _

_ Liam” _

He chuckled as he continued to his classroom, trying to figure out a perfect response, finally typing back a simple negative response and after a moment’s hesitation, sent his phone number. Texting would be simpler than email, right? It didn’t mean anything when he pulled out a sketchbook from the drawer of his desk, setting it up on an easel alongside his students. While they all worked on a drawing of a bowl of fruit, Zayn began sketching brightly coloured superheros. 

His smile grew when his phone alerted him to an incoming text message.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Seriously though, can someone die from a cold?


	5. Friday

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> No long notes today because I'm heading off to bed. Spent three hours on the side of the road waiting for a service for a flat tire and I'm just exhausted.
> 
> Hope everyone is having a great Friday!
> 
> Wish me luck actually finishing tomorrow's chapter!
> 
> xx-Joey

Liam woke up feeling only slightly better than he had the morning before, but at least he could breath a bit more easily. Pushing himself to sit, he listened to the heavy silence of the flat, sending out a quiet thank you to his father for taking Arthur off his hands for the night so Liam could head to bed and get some extra sleep. He made his way out of bed, jumping when his phone fell to the floor. He smiled as he remembered texting Z off and on throughout the day. He debated sending a good morning text, but decided against it just as his phone buzzed.

_ “Morning! Feeling better?” _

He quickly responded in the affirmative and said he was getting ready for work. He smiled as Z encouraged him to take another day to rest; he couldn’t remember the last time someone worried about him when he was ill. His father was understandably concerned with his mum and her failing health and Arthur tried, but he was only a child. 

Liam had been single for far longer than he liked to think about; he’d been on a date here or there in the years since he’d adopted Arthur, but never seemed to find someone who was all that into dating a single father, especially someone close to his own age. He thought about Z and the giddiness he’d felt while texting with him, remembering similar flutters when he’d been a teenager and flirting with his first boyfriend. He didn’t even know if Z was interested in men, but he was honestly just glad to even be developing a friendship with someone he didn’t work with or who served him coffee.

He’d been lost in thought for so long, his last ditch alarm was going off. He hurriedly typed out,  _ “Too much to finish up, especially after yesterday. Two weeks off starting tomorrow.” _ He threw his phone onto his bed before rushing into the shower, mind going over everything he needed to finish that day, unable to control his smile.

***

Zayn wasn’t surprised when Liam went into radio silence; he had no idea what Liam did for a job, but got the impression it kept him really busy. Zayn did not miss the grind of day-to-day working for someone else. He chuckled as he looked at himself in the mirror, Santa outfit complete with belly pillow and beard making him unrecognizable. He’d never had this much fun while working for someone else. 

Making his way down the stairs behind his flat, he let himself into the coffee shop through the employee entrance behind the tree. He tilted his head to glance out from behind it, smiling as he saw the children holding complimentary cups of cocoa in collectable mugs. The thrum of excitement running through the children was almost palpable and his smile grew when his eyes fell on Arthur. 

He glanced around the shop looking for Liam, even though he knew the other man was working, before his gaze stopped on the man that had been there with Liam and Arthur earlier in the week; something about the man struck him as familiar, but he still couldn’t put his finger on where he’d seen him other than that day in the shop. He smiled down at Arthur who had slipped on one of the black shirts with the shop logo Zayn had designed. It was the uniform worn by all of the baristas and Zayn thought Arthur would get a kick out of looking like Harry, so he had left that as the special surprise that he’d told Arthur about in his email.

“Santa!” A small blonde girl in a pink hat had spotted him and drew everyone’s attention. Moving from behind the tree, Zayn knelt down and held his arms out wide, laughing loudly when the mass of children came running at him, nearly knocking him down in their exuberance.

“Now, now, now!” Harry called out over the ruckus, his voice bright and cheery as he shook his head in mock anger, the bells on the tips of his elf hat jingly merrily. “Let’s let Santa get to his chair so we can start giving him our wish lists and get pictures! Everyone form a line over there by my fellow elf.”

Zayn furrowed his brow and glanced around the shop, laughing a loud Santa laugh when he spotted Louis pouting in an elf costume that did wonderful things to his bum. “Ho ho ho, Harry, it looks as if you’ve brought Grouchy the Elf with you.”

“Grouchy’s a Smurf,” Louis snapped.

“My mistake. This is Sassy the Elf,” Zayn said to the children and they all laughed, calling out the name to Louis in sing-song voices. The brunet’s lips quirked in a smile as he opened his arms and gave a wide smile, helping Harry wrangle the children into something that resembled a line.

There were a lot of children, but Zayn made sure to focus on each one that was in his lap. He remembered being a kid and visiting Santa with his mum. Although he was Muslim, his mum’s family still celebrated Christmas, so Santa was a tradition for his sisters and him. There were pictures of him looking up at the man in awe while his younger sister screamed in terror. 

He was glad to be able to give these kids memories like he’d had as a child because, generally, memories lasted. He focused on the little girl in his lap who he’d seen in the shop many times as she asked him for a new winter coat for herself, but if Santa couldn’t do that, then a football for her little brother. As the girl ran back to her mother, Zayn made a note to get those items under the tree as soon as possible.

After about an hour, just as he was considering taking a break, Arthur approached him. The boy looked shy and Zayn could see the man he was with watching carefully. Zayn patted his knee. “Do you want to sit, Arthur?” he asked in his best Santa voice, chuckling when hazel eyes widened.

Arthur hurried over and climbed into Zayn’s lap. He stared hard into Zayn’s face, smiling. “Your eyes are the same colour as mine!” Zayn nodded, smiling as he ran a gloved hand to push fluffy blond hair out of Arthur's eyes. “You have a freckle!” Arthur’s voice was awed as he pointed towards Zayn’s left eye. “Cool!”

“So, what would you like for Christmas? One of my elves told me that you liked superheros and The Hulk is your favourite,” Zayn told him, enjoying the way Arthur’s face lit up, but the corners of the boy’s mouth turned down. “You don’t like superheros?”

“No, I do, but that’s not what I want for Christmas, Santa.”

“Then what is it that you do want?”

“I told Mr. Paddy, my counselor, what I wanted, but he said that Santa can’t grant wishes like mine.” Arthur fiddled with his fingers and Zayn laid his hand over the boy’s, stilling his nervous movements. “But Andy at school asked for a baby sister last year and he got one, so maybe you can help me, too?”

Zayn swallowed hard as he thought about what Arthur could possibly be asking for that was similar to a baby sister. “Well, you know, I’ll do whatever I can to grant your wish.”

Arthur gestured for Zayn to lean closer, his eyes on the man who had brought him. When Zayn leaned in, he whispered, “I don’t want Grandpapa to hear because he doesn’t like me worrying about grown up stuff.” Zayn began to wonder if maybe Liam wasn’t doing well financially and Arthur was worried about that. He was feeling his mind begin to wander, but he snapped himself back to Arthur as the boy continued. “I really want to see my Papa happy. I want him to get a husband.”

“What?” He tried to figure out what to say. “Does he even have a boyfriend?”

“Yes,” Arthur answered, confident as Zayn’s stomach dropped.

He closed his eyes as he forced out the next question past his suddenly tight throat. “What’s his name?”

Arthur smiled, giving a little giggle. “Z.”


	6. Saturday

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Saturday!
> 
> This chapter kind of got away from me, but I think I got it back under control.
> 
> Enjoy!
> 
> xx-Joey

Liam pushed open the door to the coffee shop with his back, balancing the gifts he carried in his arms. He was having a slight case of deja vu when the box on top wobbled, but there was no handsome stranger with black hair to catch it before it hit the ground. Thankfully, this time, it wasn’t a fragile gift, but rather the scarf and hat Arthur had made for Z. Glancing around, he didn’t see anyone to ask for help, so he began to nudge the gift with his foot towards an empty table.

“I got it,” a small voice called and Liam stopped moving. A moment later, the little blonde girl from the other day appeared next to him, holding the box in her hands. She was wearing the hat and gloves he had taken from the tree for her, but her coat was new and fit her much better. She had another strangely shaped wrapped gift underneath the arm not holding Z’s gift.

Liam moved to put the other gifts on the table before turning back to her and taking back the gift. “Thank you so much, love,” he told her. “I’m just about to get a hot chocolate, would you like one?” She chewed her lower lip and glanced towards the door. Looking over, Liam saw a little boy standing outside looking through the window. He had a leash wrapped around his hand, but Liam couldn’t see the other end. “Is that your brother?” She nodded. “Well, how about I get you both one in to-go cups?”

“That’s really nice of you, sir,” she whispered, her voice so low he had to lean down to hear her. 

“It’s Christmas,” he told her as he glanced back towards the window again, noticing the boy’s jacket. He rooted around in the gifts he had, knowing one of them had been a coat meant for the young girl, but he’d also purchased a boy’s coat that would probably fit him. He grabbed that gift and one that held a ragdoll that Arthur had deemed perfect for any little girl. “Why don’t you take these out to your brother while I get the hot chocolates and maybe I’ll see if Harry has any of his homemade dog treats behind the counter.”

“Really?” 

“Really.” He watched her hurry towards the door, glancing back over at him before she went outside. He continue towards the counter, wishing Arthur was with him to do this, but he was spending the day visiting Liam’s mum while Liam finished up Christmas shopping. 

Once he’d procured the cocoa and dog treats, as well as a few baked goods, he slipped a gift card into the bag. Harry had told him the little girl and her brother stopped by every day and took turns coming inside to get warm. He wasn’t sure where their parents were and whenever someone tried to ask, the kids would disappear as quickly as they appeared.

He left Z’s gifts under the tree and then went outside, smiling down at the fluffy puppy at their feet, breathing a bit easier at how healthy the dog looked, so he was fairly certain the children weren't homeless. He handed over the drinks and bags of food, smiling as the girl hugged the doll to her chest and noted the boy was already wearing the coat. He reached into his pocket and pulled out one of his business cards, using the pen in his pocket to scribble his cell number on the back.

“This is my phone number. If you need anything, you call it, alright?” They both nodded as the boy took the card. “My name is Liam.”

“Thank you, Mr. Liam,” the little boy said, smiling and showing off missing teeth. “My name is Gavin and this is my sister Gwen.”

“It’s very nice to meet you both. Do you live near here?” They looked nervous suddenly, so Liam turned his attention to the dog, kneeling down to scratch under its chin, laughing when it stretched up to lick Liam’s nose. “That’s alright. You don’t have to tell me. Just remember to call if you need anything.” 

He stood and watched the kids disappear down the street, his heart feeling warm, but a small part of him worried as well. He saw them turn left when they reached the corner and a part of him thought about following, but Harry appeared next to him before he could begin to move. “You have such a big heart.”

“It’s human decency,” Liam argued, wiping at his eyes.

“It’s more than that. You and Z are alike that way,” he commented.

“Are we?” Liam asked, turning his focus on Harry who looked thoughtful. “Anything else you want to tell me about him?”

“I really can’t, but believe me, Liam, I’m trying to get him to reveal himself to you.” He looked up and down the street, almost as if he expected Z to appear suddenly. “His smile when you text him is one I haven’t seen in a long time, so be patient. Trust me, he’s worth it.”

Liam looked at his feet. “Arthur says I smile like it’s Christmas morning when I’m messaging Z, so I guess I can be patient. For now.”

They talked for a few more minutes before Harry had to get back to work and Liam really needed to get moving if he was going to get his shopping done before he went to pick up Arthur. The two of them were heading over to the soup kitchen to help serve dinner and sing Christmas Carols, another tradition that they had started. He was glad that Arthur always seemed to be as excited about doing for others as Liam was raised to be. He glanced down the street where the kids had gone, but there was no sign of them after all the time that had passed.

***

Zayn woke to his alarm, confused for a moment because he usually slept in on weekends, allowing himself to wake up naturally. It took a few minutes for his mind to begin functioning enough to remember his new lessons at the center. He pushed himself up off the bed, reaching for his phone to silence the alarm.

He scrolled through his missed notifications as he strode towards the bathroom, shucking his boxers as he went. A text from Liam sent a few hours earlier brought a smile to his face and a warmth to his chest that he refused to acknowledge as he thumbed it open.

_ “Good morning! I know you mentioned sleeping in on weekends, so I hope this doesn’t wake you. Long day ahead for me fighting crowds for last minute gifts. I swear every year I won’t wait until the last minute and every year, I’m running around on the twenty-third swearing the next year will be different.” _

Zayn turned the water on in the shower, letting it warm up as he responded to Liam.  _ “Good luck with the crowds. I try to do as much of my shopping online as possible, but it’s not always possible. I’m actually on my way to the coffee shop to get some caffeine before heading off to teach a little. Today is almost all private art lessons, so I can't’ complain even if it meant getting up early.” _

After his shower, he checked his phone, denying his disappointment not to see a response from Liam. He looked at himself in the mirror and shook his head. “You are being ridiculous. He isn't your boyfriend, no matter what the cutest little boy on the planet has to say to the contrary.” He spent another few minutes giving himself the most depressing pep talk on record before hurrying to get dressed.

He hopped down the steps, peeking through the window to see the shop was unusually empty, but it had only been open for a few minutes. Moving swiftly, he placed the coat he’d purchased for the little blonde girl from the day before, checking to make sure her name was written clearly. Carefully next to it, he placed the wrapped football, laughing at the obviousness of the gift by the shape. He’d never learned her brother’s name so he’d written “Gwen’s Little Brother” on it instead. He was glad he’d gotten Louis to get her name when she’d picked up their picture from him.

Once the gifts were in place, he gave a smile to George who was standing behind the counter looking half asleep, but he knew that he’d been there most of the night baking and was just waiting for Harry to come in to take over, which should be at any moment. Slipping behind the counter, he poured his own cup of simple black coffee, sliding on a lid and sleeve before making his way out of the shop and towards the tube.

It wasn’t until he got settled on the tube and checked his phone to see Liam still hadn’t texted that his mind returned to the previous day. He remembered Arthur’s eager face and bright smile as he announced that his Papa’s boyfriend was named Z. That, unknowingly, he was saying that Zayn himself was Liam’s boyfriend.

He wasn’t naive enough to deny to himself that picturing himself as Liam’s boyfriend wasn’t a warm fuzzy image in his head. The idea of spending time with him and Arthur had crossed his wandering mind many times even before they’d started communicating. He remembered the first day the coffee shop had opened, back when it was half the size it was at present. Harry had been with him from the beginning, from the idea phase really, and had dealt with the customer service while Zayn ran things behind the scenes. Harry called him the Phantom of the Coffee Shop in jest, but there was a lot of truth to his words. Zayn watched from behind doors, taking in the customers and he still remembered seeing Liam that first day.

Liam had walked in looking harried, a wriggling Arthur held underneath his arm in a way that was too effortless for a child that size. Zayn had gotten one look at Liam’s face and yelped before hiding behind the Christmas tree that he was still decorating, having put that off until the last moment. He watched through the branches as Liam set Arthur down, pointing at one of the sofas, his face looking strained as he spoke quickly and quietly. Arthur had shuffled to the sofa with his head down. Zayn approached as he sat down, noticing the boy was sniffling. Watching Liam out of the corner of his eye, he handed over a napkin before disappearing behind the tree again just as Liam approached with a cup of hot chocolate, the whipped cream practically spilling over the edges.

Zayn hadn’t been able to hear what they were discussing, but he’d watched them both begin to cry before cuddling on the sofa together sharing the mug of hot chocolate. Once the worst of the tears had passed, Arthur had pulled out a book and the two of them had sat there reading together until Arthur had fallen asleep against Liam. Harry had joined them with a cup of tea for Liam, the two of them talking quietly through Harry’s break. That had been the first time he’d drawn Arthur and Liam. He’d used the pencil in his apron and one of the flaps of the box for the Christmas tree; that piece of cardboard still sat in a drawer in Zayn’s flat with a few more sneaky drawings he’d done over the past few years.

He wiped at his own eyes, still unsure of what had happened to upset them so much and afraid, even with the developing familiarity to ask. He thought back to Harry snatching the drawing out of his hand and placing it among the boughs of the tree before Zayn could grab it back; suddenly extremely thankful for Harry’s friendship and stubbornness.

He was so lost in thought that he almost missed his stop, jumping to his feet and slipping through the doors just as they’d started to close. He pounded up the stairs and down the street before racing into the center. He reached the front counter, pressing both palms against it as he caught his breath. He glared when Louis came up to him, chuckling at his state. 

“You’re not late,” he reminded as he headed to Zayn’s classroom. “Your first student today is named Karen. She used to be in your group classes, but due to a downturn in her dementia hasn’t been able to attend lately. Recently, thanks to an experimental drug, she has shown improvement and her family requested the private lessons. We agreed on a trial basis and her attendance will be based upon if she’s having a good day or a bad day.”

Zayn nodded, trying to remember a Karen, but couldn’t picture the woman; he’d taught a lot of classes in the five years since he’d started at the center. “Is today a good day or a bad day?” 

Louis nodded into the classroom where a woman stood at one of the easels with a familiar little boy next to her. A little boy who was wearing a back barista uniform shirt and a huge smile as he looked up at Karen. “You tell me,” Louis said. 

Zayn entered the room, his eyes locked on Arthur. He must have made a sound because they both turned towards him, smiling. He held his hand out to the woman, returning her smile as he watched Arthur out of the corner of his eye. “Greetings, Karen. Are you looking forward to class today?” She nodded and Zayn felt someone tug on the edge of his shirt. He looked down at Arthur and then bent a little so they were face to face. “Hi, little man. My name is-”

“Santa!” Arthur suddenly shouted interrupting Zayn’s introduction and he felt his face pale. “You have the freckle! You’re Santa!”

“Um…” Zayn looked around for help, not sure how to proceed with this conversation.

“No, honey, this is Zach,” Karen said, laying a hand on Arthur’s shoulder.

“Actually, it’s Zayn,” he corrected. “You got the Z-”

“Z?” Arthur whispered, his eyes wide and jaw dropped.

_ “Oh, shit,” _ Zayn thought as he felt his world begin to close in around him.


	7. Sunday - Christmas Eve

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Christmas Eve, my lovely readers. I sincerely hope you are having a wonderful day and enjoying your families. If you don't celebrate Christmas, I hope this is still an amazing day for you!
> 
> We are getting snow again here, so my day with my mum was cut short, but we still managed to have dinner and exchange gifts. One gift being the beautiful new laptop I am publishing this chapter from. Been a long time since I've had a new computer and my little heart is soaring!
> 
> This is the second to last chapter (there may or may not be an epilogue - I haven't decided yet) and there is an added tag (don't hate me).
> 
> xx-Joey

Zayn sat on the edge of his bed, his head between his hands. He glanced at his phone as it lit up, another text message from Liam. The time at the top of the phone read 3:24 a.m. He knew that Liam had been up wrapping presents for Arthur and this latest text was finally telling him good night. Zayn knew he should head to bed, but he couldn’t bring himself to sleep as he waited for the one text message he just knew was coming. He knew at some point, Liam was going to say that he knew who Z was, that Arthur had given him away.

The art lesson had been forgotten as Arthur grilled him about the gifts and Karen seemed overly interested in Zayn’s friendship with her son. He’d felt trapped, but couldn’t work up the energy to leave the room, so he’d just sat there answering their questions. At one point, he’d let slip the fact that he’d actually known of Liam and Arthur for years, making them both smile sadly at him. The look of pity from a small child was enough to bring tears to Zayn’s eyes.

He’d told the story of the first time and he watched as Arthur’s face scrunched up in concentration. After a few moments, he nodded before turning to Zayn who had moved to sit against the wall, his knees drawn to his chest. Kneeling next to him, Arthur had pressed his hands to each side of Zayn’s face, forcing him to make eye contact. “That was the day we found our Nana had to come live here. I was so mad because I didn’t think I’d see her again. Papa was so sad and I made him sadder.” 

Zayn’s heart had twisted as he’d mentally smacked himself for not getting over his fears and approaching them that day. He’d started to say something, but Arthur had kept talking as Karen  had perched on the edge of a chair watching them, her smile turning fond instead of sad. “Papa stopped me from running into the street and pulled me into your coffee shop. He said he was afraid someone on the street would think I was being kidnapped the way I was behaving.” Arthur’s cheeks grew pink. 

“You were so upset,” Zayn had commented. “I couldn’t believe your Papa carried you in under his arm.”

“Your hot chocolate was the best we’d ever had and we got whipped cream everywhere! Papa saw the tree and started talking about Christmas and how we would still see Nana, but it would be different. He promised that even though everything changes, that the people who love me never would.”

“Never,” Karen had added, glancing towards the door as Louis had walked in, looking concerned. 

“I came by to take you back to your flat,” he’d said to Karen, watching Zayn and Arthur carefully.

“I can do it,” Zayn had volunteered scrambling to his feet and offering a hand to Karen who’d taken it and allowed him to pull her up to stand, not releasing his hand as Arthur had taken the other one. “Do I have anymore lessons today?”

“Nah, Mr. Cowell is being moved to more comprehensive care and Mr. O’Leary is going to stay with family through the holidays,” Louis had offered. “Maybe we should’ve waited until after New Year’s to start these. Sorry for wasting your time.”

Zayn had glanced down when Arthur had squeezed his hand. “Definitely not a waste of time.”

The three of them had spent the next few hours together, talking and decorating the small tree in Karen’s flat. Zayn had learned about Arthur’s past and how he’d come to call Liam Papa, his heart had burst with sadness and pride as he’d listened. When Liam had called to say he was on his way to pick up Arthur, he’d excused himself, despite the boy’s arguments. As he’d left, Arthur had promised, unprompted not to tell Liam who Z was, at last not until after the holidays. Zayn had been impressed by how mature the boy was for nine years old.

Zayn came back to himself, brushing at his eyes and checking the text from Liam.  _ “You’ve been quiet today. Hope you are alright. I’m finally heading to bed.” _ Zayn’s fingers hovered, as he tried to convince himself to respond as another text came through.  _ “I hope you were able to get to the shop today to get the gifts I left this - well yesterday - morning. I’ll wait to hear from you before I bother you anymore.” _

Zayn threw his phone onto his bed, feeling stupid. Of course, his horrible awkwardness had blown yet another friendship, possibly more. He tugged at the ends of his hair as he made his way to the stairs to go into the coffee shop to check under the tree; he’d completely forgotten to do it the day before.

He stumbled down the stairs, cursing his lack of slippers as he reached the cold tile of the shop. Closing the door behind him quietly so he didn’t disturb George, Jaymi, JJ and Josh who were hard at work in the bakery; extra help had been called in because the shop was always super crowded on Christmas Eve and they’d actually gotten some special orders form regular customers. He made his way to the tree, looking underneath for packages with “Z” on them, finding a barely two-foot tall tree decorated with a popcorn and cranberry chain as well as teeny construction paper ornaments, a too-big star on top with a gold, glittery star on the top with a black “Z” in the center. Beneath it, was a box wrapped in Avengers wrapping paper. 

Pulling the box out carefully, he opened it to reveal a scarf and hat. The scarf was really long, just like Zayn like them with neat black stitches, except for a few rows around the center, and long green fringe. The hat matched with a black crown and green brim. Smiling and blinking back tears, he pulled the hat over his head and wrapped the scarf around his neck. 

As he moved the box aside he heard a rattle coming from inside it. Pulling out the tissue paper, he gasped as he saw what was in the bottom of the box. Hands shaking, he pulled out a copy of  _ ‘Twas the Night before Christmas. _ The book was old, the edges worn. He remembered Arthur’s words from the day before as he opened the book and a note fell out. He recognized the boy’s writing.

_ “Z, _

_ I’m not giving you this book to keep. Papa would be mad at me if I did because it’s the only thing I have left of my mum and dad in Heaven. I just wanted to share my favourite thing with you. _

_ I hope you are as nice as Papa says and will give this back. _

_ Yours- _

_ Arthur” _

Zayn’s heart stopped as he tried to catch his breath. The amount of trust the boy put in him was overwhelming and all he could think about was that he had to get the book back to him as soon as possible. He wasn’t sure where they lived, but he knew he had to find out. Not caring about the early hour, Zayn raced up the stairs to get some shoes and his coat.

As he placed the book and note on an end table, the note fell to the floor, landing facedown. On the back an address was scribbled and Zayn laughed. He was really going to have to talk to Arthur about giving out personal information, but right now all he could think about was getting to them.

Zayn was less concerned with quiet as he raced back down the stairs and to the door. Snow had fallen overnight and the street looked pretty, but the walks had not been cleared. As Zayn glanced across the road at the bus stop, he saw the bus pulling away revealing Gwen and her little brother and their dog. The kids were waving at the bus and Zayn glimpsed a woman waving from the back window in return. 

It took a moment of wondering if that was their mum before he realized that he had missed the bus and there wouldn’t be another one for awhile. Taking off running, the book clasped to his chest, he had just managed to reach the corner where the bus turned to pass him and his foot hit a patch of ice.

Suddenly, his feet weren’t on the ground anymore and the sky was all he could see. He kept his tight grip on the book as he felt first his back and then his head connect with the sidewalk. The last thing he heard was a young voice screaming, “Mister!”

***

Liam laid in bed, his mind not letting him fall into the sleep he so desperately needed. He kept thinking about Z and Arthur. When Liam had picked Arthur up from his mum’s, arriving just as his father had returned from work, Arthur had been acting unusual and he and Liam’s mum kept whispering to each other and giggling. As much as it had warmed his heart to see how much his mum had improved, he had felt a bit left out. 

They’d shared a late lunch before Geoff had arrived, his eyes bright and happy. Liam and Arthur had made gagging noises as he’d swept Karen out of her chair and dipped her low giving her a big kiss, the two of them giggling as they righted themselves. Their excitement was contagious and it had only grown when Geoff announced that Karen was being allowed to move into less comprehensive care and that Geoff would be moving to the community to join her to be a caregiver.

They’d all celebrated, until Liam thought about his childhood home. The home where he’d been raised, where dozens of kids had been fostered and where Arthur had come into their lives. He’d wiped at his eyes as Arthur had crawled into his lap. Once he’d been able to share what had upset him, his father gave him a smile before announcing that Liam and Arthur were welcome to move into the home. It had been paid off for years and the monthly taxes were less than Liam’s current rent.

Arthur had started packing as soon as they’d returned home, excitement bubbling out as he’d asked if he would be able to get his old room, which had been Liam’s childhood room. When bedtime had approached, he’d tucked Arthur in, surprised when he’d been given an anthology of bedtime stories to read from instead of  _ ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas _ . When he’d asked about it, Arthur had just expressed a desire for something different and Liam had shrugged it off.

After his son had fallen asleep, Liam had texted Z, talking about his day and about the move back to his childhood home. He wasn’t ashamed to admit that he’d been disappointed when Z hadn’t responded, not even once. Although, as the night went on, he’d convinced himself that maybe the other man had fallen asleep and just wasn’t getting the messages. Although it made sense, Liam was still disappointed.

He’d wrapped Arthur’s gifts from Santa before returning them to the wardrobe where he hid them. When he was done, he made himself a hot chocolate, even though it was nowhere near as good as the coffee shop’s, and settled into the sitting room. The only light was the Christmas tree and as the clock on the table ticked down the time, he sent off a last text to Z, leaving the ball in his court before turning off the tree and heading into his bed.

His phone rang, startling him out of the pseudo sleep he’d eventually fallen into. Scrambling for it, his heart feared it was his father with bad news about his mum, soared with the thought it was Z, but the number came up as unknown. He debated answering, but then thought of Gwen and Gavin.

“Hello?” his voice was hushed as he heard movement from Arthur’s room next door.

“Mr. Liam?” a young voice squeaked through the phone. “It’s Gwen! A man is hurt and he said your name!” She was shouting and Liam held the phone away from his ear.

“Where are you?” he asked, already moving about the room, getting dressed as quickly as possible, not even bothering to check if what he was donning matched or was even clean. 

“Outside the coffee shop! Mum got on the bus to go to work and the man ran after it and he fell! He won’t wake up!” Gwen sounded hysterical, but Liam could hear Gavin huffing in the background and asking for the phone, sounding slightly calmer than his sister.

“Honey, can you give the phone to Gavin and go kneel next to the man and hold his hand. Keep trying to talk to him, alright?” She agreed and he heard the phone moving between hands before Gavin gave a sound of greeting. “Do you know the man?”

“It’s the nice man from the coffee shop,” Gavin explained. “He lives there and he’s always doing nice things for us.”

“Is it Harry?” Liam asked as he made his way to Arthur’s room, entering and gathering clothes before going over to wake his son with a finger to his lips. He handed over the clothes and Arthur began getting dressed without question.

“No. I can’t remember his name. He never told us. He had a name tag, but it didn't have a name just the Zorro sign,” Gavin said, his voice calm but Liam could hear his breathing increasing.

“Z?” Liam gasped. 

“What happened?” Arthur shouted, suddenly speaking up and tugging on Liam’s arm. Liam shushed him.

“Gavin, I want you and your sister to call 999. My son and I will be there shortly. If they take Z away before we do, find out where they are taking him. Do you understand?” Arthur disappeared out the door as soon as he’d been shushed and came running back in with his and Liam’s boots, throwing them at him before dropping to the floor to put on his own.

“Yes, sir,” Gavin responded and hung up the phone. 

Liam hopped around the room, pulling his boots on while Arthur gathered coats and outerwear. Once they were more or less dressed, jackets open and flapping in the wind as they ran down the stairs. Liam glanced at his car, but figured they would get there quicker on foot. They ran down the street, pace miraculously increasing as they heard sirens and saw flashing lights. They skidded to a stop in front of the coffee shop just as they were loading Z into the ambulance. Liam put his hands on his knees, panting as Gwen and Gavin threw themselves at him, tears streaming down their faces.

Arthur ran over to the medics, introducing himself and calling Liam over. “This is my Papa. That’s his boyfriend.” Liam’s voice caught in his throat at his words.

“Arthur, Z isn’t…” He wasn’t even sure how to finish the statement.

“His name is Zayn Malik. He owns and lives at the coffee shop here,” Arthur argued.

Liam was surprised. How did Arthur suddenly know so much about this stranger? He turned to the medic who was handing something over and Liam took it without looking at it.

“He was holding this, quite tightly, when we got here. He should be alright. His vitals are good, but he isn’t waking up. We’re taking him to Royal London and you and your kids can meet us there.”

With that, they were gone and Liam was still feeling stunned as three sets of small arms wrapped around his waist. He reached to hug them all, stopping when he realized what he was holding in his hands. “Arthur, why did Z have your book?”

“Liam, what’s going on?” Harry came running up to him.

“Z fell and hit his head,” Liam explained. “They are taking him to Royal London.”

Harry looked between the coffee shop and the way the ambulance had gone. “I have to see if I can find someone to take care of the shop before I can go.”

“Can you call his family?” Liam asked. “Let someone know.”

Harry looked sad for a minute before Arthur spoke up again. “Z doesn’t have family, Papa. Just Harry and the coffee shop.” Arthur looked thoughtfully around the group. “And us.”

“And us,” Liam agreed. “Okay, Harry can you make up three hot chocolates and one double sweet, double cream coffee to go. Can the kids come in with you? I’m going to go get the car. Gwen and Gavin, you need to tell me, where are your parents?” They exchanged looks before glancing down at their feet. “You know you can trust me, I came when you called, didn’t I? I was on my way before you even told me it was Z.”

“We don’t have a dad and mum works in the next town. She was on the bus Z was trying to catch. She’s gone from really early to really late and told us not to let people know we were alone or she’d get in trouble,” Gwen explained, looking frightened.

“Okay, can you call her?” Gwen nodded and pulled out her phone. “Ask if I can take you and Gavin with Arthur and I to the hospital. I’m going to go get my car while you do that.” He turned to Harry. “Can the kids wait in the shop?”

“Of course,” Harry assured, already ushering the kids towards the door. “Take your time and drive safely. We don’t need two of you in the hospital.”

Two hours later, Liam was sitting in the waiting room with the kids when Harry joined them. He was able to go up to the desk and get information because he was actually listed as Zayn’s next of kin whereas Arthur’s insistence that Liam was Zayn’s boyfriend didn’t hold any weight. “Zayn,” Liam muttered to himself, trying out the name again, making it stick. He still hadn’t gotten a good look at the man, but at least he had an actual name instead of an initial.

Harry dropped next to him. “Alright, so they are just waiting for him to wake up. He’s definitely got a concussion, but no internal bleeding. They figure as long as he wakes up soon, he should be out before Christmas morning.” 

Liam glanced at the clock, surprised that it wasn’t even ten in the morning, yet. He was also reminded that it was Christmas Eve. He’d already told his family that he wouldn’t be over until late to spend the night at his childhood home. He also had to figure out how to move the gifts from the flat to there. He was beginning to feel overwhelmed.

“Hey,” Harry spoke up, laying a hand on his shoulder, causing Liam to take a deep breath and focus his thinking on now; he’d figure out the rest of the stuff later. “I told them that you were allowed to get info and go in and see him, so if you want to go sit with him for a bit, you can. I’ll stay out here with the kids.”

Liam looked at the pile of sleeping children on the bench seat across from them. They’d fallen asleep reading Arthur’s book, which Liam was still a bit upset about Zayn having, but once Arthur explained, he couldn’t be too upset, but he did give a harsh lecture about giving out his address to strangers. Even Gwen and Gavin gave him a hard time about it. Standing, he leaned over and pressed a kiss to Arthur’s head, smiling when the boy looked up at him sleepily.

“Is Z awake?”

“Sorry, bud. I’m gonna go in and sit with him for a bit. Stay here with Mr. Harry and the kids,” he explained as he ran a hand through Arthur’s curls.

A nurse took Liam to the curtained off area where they were keeping Zayn, leaving once Liam had stepped through and got his first good look at the man who had been occupying his days and thoughts. The black hair that fell messily across skin that although paled by unconsciousness was still tanned against the stark white of the sheets. Stepping closer to the bed, Liam reached a hand out to brush the hair off his forehead, jumping when lashes fluttered and Zayn moaned.

Liam snatched his hand back as Zayn began to move his head from side to side a little and moaning again. “Zayn?” he whispered, biting his tongue when his eyes blinked open revealing dull hazel eyes that Liam suddenly remembered being warm as he’d handed back Harry’s gift in the coffee shop. 

“Liam?” Zayn rasped out, licking at his lips.

Liam smiled as he reached to push the nurse’s call button, in case the uptick in the heart monitor wasn’t enough to draw medical staff to the room. “Hello, Z. It’s nice to finally meet you.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I just can't seem to go without some kind of injury in my stories - I'm sorry. *hides face in shame*


	8. Monday - Christmas Day

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Here we are. The end of the journey (although I'm still not completely ruling out an epilogue).
> 
> This would've gone up sooner, but I ended up going to dinner at my neighbor's home once they found out I was alone for the holiday. So, also due to this, the chapter is only half beta'd, so I apologize for any errors that I missed.
> 
> I hope you've enjoyed the story and I appreciate every single kudo and comment I've gotten.
> 
> Merry Christmas, ya filthy animals!
> 
> xx-Joey

It was just after midnight and Liam startled away as he felt a hand running over his hair. Blinking his eyes, he glanced up to see his mother and father standing behind him. He stretched his back and glanced toward the figure sleeping in the bed. He’d spent the day getting to know Zayn as he went in and out of consciousness, waiting for the doctors to discharge him. Unfortunately, Zayn wouldn’t stay awake for more than an hour at a time, so they were keeping him for observation. Fortunately, they’d moved him to a private room in the observation unit. Liam knew he should’ve left when his mum and dad had showed up earlier to take Arthur and the other two kids home, but Harry had gone back to the coffee shop and then to have dinner with his mum and sister, so Liam couldn’t bring himself to leave Zayn alone in the hospital.

Looking behind his parents, he spotted Harry pushing a wheelchair with a sleeping Arthur in it and behind them was Lou, the guy Harry had been flirting with, carrying the tree they’d given Zayn. “What’s going on?”

“We figured you weren't going home, so we brought Christmas morning to you,” Harry explained.

Liam blinked sleepily as he glanced around at everyone. “No, I need to go home. The...the little Christmas man has to come for Arthur.” His voice was slurred and he wasn’t even sure what he was saying.

Harry chuckled, gesturing towards the door where a nurse came in pushing another wheelchair stacked with gifts, some of them threatening to spill, but Lou steadied them with a hip. “Santa?”

Liam shook his head. “Yeah, Santa. You brought everything here?”

“Your dad gave us the key to your flat to pick up the gifts. Thankfully you let slip where you hid Arthur’s gifts,” Harry explained as another nurse brought in a folding table and set it up near the doorway.

Working quickly, Lou and Harry and Geoff covered the table in a spare sheet provided by the nurse. They set the tree in the center and surrounded it with Arthur’s gifts and Liam realized there were a few in different paper. He wandered over, picking them up and saw the tags for him and Arthur with Zayn’s signature Z on them. He was still waking up as one of the doctors walked in smiling at the commotion.

“Technically, it’s not visiting hours, but I refuse to be the Grinch,” he said, moving to the bed to check on Zayn’s vitals. “How long has he been out this time?”

“About an hour,” Liam provided, moving to his side to take his hand.

“Have not,” Zayn argued quietly, eyes closed. “Was just hoping you’d get some sleep.” He blinked his eyes a few times before they widened as he took in everyone in the room and the decorations that were being put up.

“Sure, you haven’t been sleeping even a little bit,” Liam teased, watching as yet another nurse came in pushing a small cot, setting it up quickly. Geoff lifted Arthur out of the wheelchair and set him on the cot. Karen leaned over, tucking him in with a kiss to the forehead.

“That kid can sleep through anything,” she commented.

“Must be related to Zayn,” Harry joked, looking away as Zayn’s eyes snapped to his. “It was actually the steamed milk I slipped him before I dropped him off at your folks.”

The doctor continued looking over Zayn, making notes in a chart and smiling warmly as he closed it and slipped it into the sleeve at the foot of the bed. “Well, I think that if you can stay up for at least a couple of hours now, there should be no problem releasing you first thing in the morning.” 

Zayn smiled as he heard the news, thanking the doctor and shaking his hand as the man wished them a happy holiday and excused himself. Zayn reached for the bed control, pressing the button to move the top of the bed so he was sitting without too much effort on his own. He looked over to the cot where Arthur was sleeping. Finally his gaze moved to Liam who was hovering like a mother hen. He reached out a hand waiting until Liam took it before intertwining their fingers and squeezing.

In the times that he’d been awake, he’d gotten to know Liam better and wondered why he’d ever been afraid to approach the man before. He’d found himself talking to him about things he’d never really shared with anyone, not even Harry who had known him since he was five years old. Harry knew about the accident that had taken his family while he’d been in college, leaving him alone but with enough money to start the coffee shop. He’d stood by him through the fiance who’d disappeared weeks before the wedding only to send a letter that arrived by courier on the day that was supposed to be the big day stating he’d realized he wasn’t in love with Zayn. He implied that he’d fallen for Zayn’s good looks, but realized the closer the wedding drew, that his looks was all that really appealed to him.

Zayn knew he had trust issues and that was what had made him hide from Liam for so long, watching him and his son from afar and wishing he could be a part of that life. Now as he saw Arthur start mumbling and twisting under the blanket on the cot and all of the people in the room falling quiet, Karen going so far as to cross her fingers, he realized that he’d managed to be dragged into it. He wasn’t complaining.

After a few moments, Arthur settled back down against the pillow and let out a quiet snore. Liam glanced between Zayn and his son, feeling warm as Zayn squeezed his hand again. “Are you all staying?” he asked, a part of him wanting them all to stay, but a small part of him hoping for a quiet Christmas morning.

“As much as we would love to share Santa time with you,” Geoff spoke up, “Karen and I would also like to sleep in an actual bed, but we’re expecting all three of you for Christmas dinner tomorrow night.” Liam glanced at Zayn whose smile had grown so large his eyes were crinkled shut as he gave a small nod; Liam mirrored the gesture.

“Louis and I are only here to drop off the gifts and then heading to Doncaster to spend the day with his family,” Harry whispered.

“I’m really glad you guys hit it off,” Zayn spoke, his voice raspy. Liam reached for the foam cup of ice water on the overbed table, holding the straw to Zayn’s lips.

“You know Louis?” Liam asked.

“We all know Louis,” Geoff interrupted. “He works at the community center where your mum lives.”

“He’s my boss,” Zayn added. “Kind of.”

“Small world,” Liam muttered. He rose from the bed to hug his parents as Harry and Louis said goodbye to Zayn. Then his parents said goodbye to Zayn while Liam embraced the two boys. “Drive safe and let us know when you arrive.”

“We will,” Harry assured. 

“Take care of him,” Louis added, glancing at Zayn who had his face buried in Karen’s shoulder.

Liam narrowed his eyes, as he saw the tremor running through them both; they were both crying quietly as Geoff gripped Zayn’s shoulder and rubbed at Karen’s back. “I fully intend to,” he said as he moved back towards the bed.

He didn’t even notice them leave the room as he approached the bed just as Karen let go of Zayn and leaned into Geoff. “We will see you for dinner,” she stated, her voice firmer and more her than Liam had heard in years.

“Yes, Kar-” Zayn cut himself off as Karen cleared her throat. “Yes, mum. Can’t wait.”

Liam felt tears in his own eyes mirroring Zayn’s as his parents whispered goodbyes to Arthur and made their way out of the room, leaving the three alone. Liam moved back to the chair by the bed, tangling his fingers with Zayn without even thinking about it. “Alright?”

“Yeah...yeah. It’s been a long time since I’ve called anyone mum,” Zayn whispered, wiping at his eyes. His smile was small when he looked at Liam, but genuine. “What time do you think Arthur will wake up?”

“Honestly, I’m surprised he’s asleep. He’s always terrible about falling asleep on Christmas Eve. I’m going to have to remember Harry’s steamed milk trick.” He looked up at Zayn who was glancing around the room, taking everything in. “How are you feeling?”

Zayn shrugged, but he thought about his answer. The back of his head was still tender where it had been pressed against the pillow, but now that he was sitting up, it wasn’t so bad. The sharp pain between his eyes he remembered from when he’d first woken up to see Liam standing over him, had faded to a dull ache. He tried to remember what had happened, but the last thing he remembered was being in the coffee shop and opening a gift from Liam and Arthur. 

He jumped when Liam said his name, realizing he’d gotten lost in his own head again. “Sorry. I’m better. Won’t be doing any crazy head banging anytime soon, but better.” He glanced down at where his hand was joined with Liam’s and ran his thumb over the back of Liam’s. As much talking as they’d done that day, they hadn’t really discussed the last week. “When did you know?”

“Know?” 

“That I was Z,” Zayn muttered, beginning to wonder if he’d figured it out from the first day, if Harry had told him. In his head, it made sense that was why Liam kept contacting him. 

Liam glanced down at his watch and then squinted up at the ceiling. “I would say about fifteen hours ago.”

“What?” 

Liam reached out and smoothed a thumb over the crease between Zayn’s eyebrows, remembering that the doctor had warned that even thinking too hard would tax the concussion. “I didn’t realize that the handsome man who went around rescuing presents was the same smart, funny, caring man I’d been communicating with all week, until I walked in here and you opened your eyes,” Liam explained. “I probably wouldn’t even have thought about it if Gavin hadn’t mentioned your name tag, especially since you stopped messaging me.” Liam’s voice trailed off into a near whisper and Zayn leaned forward to follow his words.

“I thought Arthur had told you who I was.” Zayn’s voice was just as quiet, causing Liam to lean in closer as well.

“How did Arthur know? Was this some elaborate ruse created by him and Harry?” Liam asked, wondering if it was something the two of them had planned quickly while hanging Harry’s cupcake ornament on the tree.

“No. It is Harry’s fault it started, he put the drawing in the tree, but Arthur didn’t find out until yesterday, well, Saturday when he came with your mum to an art lesson I was teaching,” Zayn explained. “He somehow figured it out, but he thinks I’m Santa as well.”

“That explains why he was worried about the children of the world and asking Harry where you kept the reindeer. Where did he get the idea you were Santa?” Liam smiled as Zayn lifted his free hand to cover his face in embarrassment.

“He recognized my eyes from when I played Santa at the coffee shop. You have a very observant little boy,” Zayn commented, smiling widely.

Liam looked over with pride just as arthur rolled over and looked at the the two of them, confusion clear on his face for a moment. It only took a moment for recognition to fill the boy’s eyes and he rolled off the bed and raced over to the bed, scrambling up to put his hands on Zayn’s cheeks. “You’re alive!”

Liam grabbed Arthur around the waist and pulled him into his lap, laughing when Zayn reached out and tugged Arthur into his lap on the bed. When Arthur settled against him with a sigh, he stuck his tongue out at him. “You saw me awake yesterday,” Zayn said.

“I know, but you kept going back to sleep and I was scared. So, are you going to deliver presents now? Are you well enough? Do you need help? Papa says I’m a good helper,” Arthur was rambling and Zayn and Liam exchanged smiles over his head.

Liam reached out and gently turned Arthur’s head towards the table with the tree and presents. Arthur squealed before scrambling off the bed and over. He looked over all the gifts before turning back to Zayn. “How?”

“Santa has a lot of help at the North Pole,” Zayn told him. “I just called in backup. Now why don’t you bring some of those over here and start opening them.” Arthur looked at the clock on the wall and then at his feet before looking up at Liam. “If it’s alright with your Papa.”

“We have a rule at home that he can’t wake me up before six a.m. to open presents and it’s only two,” Liam explained. “How about you open the presents from Z and then get some more sleep before opening the gifts from Santa.”

“Z  _ is _ Santa, Papa,” Arthur argued and Zayn let out a giggle.

“Then just the ones in the candy cane wrapping paper now and the others later,” Liam explained, feeling his patience drawing to an end as his eyelids were growing heavy. He glanced over at Zayn, pleased that his eyes were sparkling and he was still looking wide awake.

Arthur opened the largest of the gifts first, having carried it over other bed and laying it across Zayn’s shins. He pulled at the paper carefully to reveal a canvas showing the Green Lantern, Hulk and Batman standing together in power poses. The background was filled with classic comic book action balloons.

“It’s us, isn’t it?” Arthur asked as he traced the chins beneath the masks of the Green Lantern and Batman.

“This is amazing, Zayn. Really and truly. Have you ever thought of creating your own graphic novels?” Liam asked, turning the canvas around so that he could get a better look.

“I submitted one a few weeks ago, but haven’t heard anything. I know the company is closed for the holidays though,” Zayn explained. “It was about a firefighter who becomes impervious to flames. Suppose it’s nothing or-”

“Wait,” Liam interrupted. “Did you submit it to Destiny?”

“How did you know?” Zayn asked, looking at Arthur who was still running his hands over the painting but was grinning at Zayn.

“I work for Destiny. Your storyboard crossed my desk. I looked at it just before I left work for Arthur’s Christmas program on Wednesday. Then Friday I put it on my assistant’s desk with a note to contact you when we reopen after the first of the year.” Liam shook his head.

Arthur began giggling and covered his mouth when the two men looked at him. Liam crooked an eyebrow, making him giggle more, the sound causing Zayn to start chuckling until Liam was helpless to join in. “Zayn owns and lives over our favourite coffee shop. He’s best friends with Mr. Harry. He teaches art to Nana.  _ And _ you were going to publish his graphic novel at a company called Destiny.”

Liam shook his head, truly awed by his son’s perceptive abilities. “So, you’re giggling because you think Zayn and I were destined to meet?” Arthur nodded.

“Gotta say, I have to agree with your boy,” Zayn told Liam, moving over on the bed, patting the space next to him. When Liam moved to sit, Zayn leaned his head on his shoulder. He shared a private smile when Liam pressed a kiss to the top of Zayn’s head.

“To think it all started with a Christmas tree,” Liam muttered into Zayn’s hair as Arthur began opening the rest of the presents from Zayn.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If there is a question you want to be answered in an epilogue, let me know in a comment - maybe it will inspire me to write one. :D

**Author's Note:**

> Please feel free to come talk to me on Twitter or tumblr. I really love meeting new people!


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